Bruins GM: Pastrnak's injury doesn't change deadline plans

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney insists he isn't going to alter his strategy ahead of the trade deadline despite the injury to David Pastrnak.

"It doesn’t change my approach at all," Sweeney told reporters Tuesday after revealing that his star winger will be out at least two weeks following thumb surgery.

"I’ve been (making) calls for a month now, at least, if not longer, in terms of throughout the year, but specifically in the last month trying to identify teams (that may be trade partners)," Sweeney explained. "You can imagine the jockeying going on everywhere (with) all the teams that are in (the playoff picture), so some teams don’t know. They’ll take it right to the deadline."

"That may happen," he added. "We’ve been looking to do something, but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.”

The Bruins were eyeing forward depth even before Pastrnak's injury. Last month, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Boston was one of multiple teams interested in Carolina Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland, who's a pending unrestricted free agent.

Boston entered Tuesday's action sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division. The trade deadline is Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET.